Heavy rains lash Hyderabad, parts of Telangana; IMD issues yellow alert till Aug 23

Heavy rains lashed Hyderabad and several districts in northern Telangana on Monday afternoon (August 19) and early Tuesday morning (August 20) causing waterlogging and traffic jams in several parts of the capital city.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Hyderabad and nearly all other districts till August 23 for thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and strong winds.

Nizamabad recorded the highest rainfall of 105.5 mm in the state on Monday, while Shaikpet in Hyderabad received 53.3 mm. The IMD said the rains were triggered by a cyclonic circulation over north interior Karnataka which lay over Rayalaseema and its neighbourhood.

Two die due to lightning strikes

Two persons, a 40-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl, died due to lightning strikes in separate incidents in Jogulamba Gadwal district of Telangana on Monday. Both of them were working in the fields in the rain.

An RTC bus with passengers was stranded under a railway bridge in Nizamabad in four feet of rainwater. Local residents and police helped the passengers to safety. Buses plying to Karimnagar and Warangal were unable to operate until the municipal authorities removed the stranded bus with a JCB.

Videos of waterlogging flood social media

Social media was flooded with videos of waterlogging in several areas, especially the Shaikpet nala. The Cyberabad police advised people through their social media handle not to take the Shaikpet flyover.

The affected areas in Hyderabad included Saroornagar, LB Nagar, Dilsukhnagar, Charminar, Rajendranagar, Abids, Nampally, Mehdipatnam, Nagole, Tellapur, Boduppal, Madhuranagar, Gachibowli, Chaitanyapuri, Ameerpet, Musheerabad, Shivarampally, and Uppal.

The authorities advised residents not to venture out unless really necessary till the situation improved.